It's a good-time city, and even though it's getting all cleaned
up now, we still love popping there for long weekends of good
times. There's something marvellous about a place of cyclists and
boat-folk. It is friendly, open-minded, and certain neighbourhoods
- picturesque on the canals, industrial down by the docks - buzz
with creativity.

And 2013 is set to be buzzier still. Celebrations will include
the 400th anniversary of the city's canals and the
reopening of the Rijksmuseum after a 10-year
closure, just in time for Van Gogh's 160th
birthday. It was joined, in September 2012, by the renovated
Stedelijk Museum of contemporary art, which opened
again after nine years off.

The former Red Light District has had a good
going-over. In recent months the city council have been closing
down the red-light establishments to create something altogether
nicer - less stag-do, more chic-weekender. Popping up in the empty
brothels now are fashion boutiques, boutique B&Bs, and little art galleries by
up-and-coming designers.

Notable recent hotel openings - so many in one year! - include
the one-room Hôtel Droog; the smart Sir Albert in a former diamond
factory in the De Pijp Latin Quarter; the
Exchange, with its off-the-wall rooms each
designed by fashion students; the traditional Canal House and oversized
Conservatorium, which both made our
Hot List 2012; and the Marcel Wanders-designed
Andaz in the lovely
Jordaan district; no longer down-at-heel, there
are some excellent quirky boutiques and vintage shops to be found
along its '9 Streets'.